Mounting brace assembly for mounting an electrical box

ABSTRACT

A brace assembly is provided having a brace for mounting to a support and a hanger member. The hanger member is coupled to the brace by a bar positioned in a longitudinal slot in the bottom side of the brace. The bar enables the hanger member to slide along the length of the brace. The hanger member has a bottom wall and side walls with a top end for coupling to a support. A mounting bracket is removably coupled to the hanger member for supporting the brace.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of prior-filed, co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/284,976, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/533,709, filed Nov. 5, 2014, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/781,021, filed Feb.28, 2013. The entire contents of these documents are incorporated byreference herein.

FIELD

The present invention is directed to a mounting brace assembly for anelectrical box. The invention is particularly directed to a braceassembly for attaching to a first ceiling support and having a mountingbracket for suspending the brace from a second support.

BACKGROUND

Ceiling fan and support braces for ceiling fans and luminaires are knownfor the support various outlet boxes. The braces are typically installedbetween supports such as trusses and joists in the ceiling or otheroverhead structures. Braces are also known for connecting to the barsupports used in suspended ceilings. Such braces can be awkward toinstall and may not provide the needed support for the intended deviceto be mounted to the electrical box.

Examples of electrical boxes and braces for mounting electrical boxesinclude U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,157 to Reiker which discloses a fan braceslide support for attaching two opposing faces of adjacent ceilingjoists. The brace has an open channel on the bottom face for receiving amounting member with downwardly extending screws. The screws extendthrough openings in the bottom wall of the electrical box for supportingthe weight of the ceiling fan so that the weight of the ceiling fan isapplied to the brace and not to the electrical box. The electrical boxis attached to the brace by a threaded nut.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,994 to Johnson et al. discloses a brace assembly forceiling fans having an open U-shaped channel on the bottom side of thebrace. A mounting bracket is received within the channel for supportingthe electrical box.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,355,118 to Gretz discloses an electrical box mountingassembly. The assembly includes a brace extending between adjacentceiling joists where the brace has a downwardly open channel. An innerclamping member is received within the brace having threaded holes forreceiving a coupling screw. An outer clamping member is coupled to thebottom of the brace by the screw. The electrical box is attached to theouter clamping member by a plurality of screws threaded into the outerbracket.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,631 to Becker et al. discloses a hanger bar assemblyhaving an open channel on a bottom face. The assembly includes twotelescopically connected brace members that can be adjusted to fitbetween the adjacent ceiling joists. A fastener plate slides into thechannel. The electrical outlet box is secured to the plate by screwsextending through the bottom wall of the electrical box.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,857,275 to de la Borbolla an adjustable electrical boxhanger bar assembly having two telescopically connected brace members. AU-shaped bracket fits over the top edge of the brace and is attached tothe electrical box by coupling screws.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,909 to Blackburn discloses a support for draperiesand the like having a generally U-shape with an open channel on thebottom face with a sliding member received within the channel.

While these devices are generally suitable for the intended uses, thereis a continuing need in the industry for improved mounting assembliesfor mounting an electrical box.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed a brace assembly for supporting anelectrical box and an electrical device. In particular the invention isdirected to a brace assembly having a structure for mounting to aceiling bar mounting assembly commonly used in suspended ceilings. Thebrace assembly is configured for supporting electrical devices such as,for example, a ceiling fan, luminaire or other lighting fixture.

Accordingly, a primary aspect of the invention is to provide a braceassembly having a structure that is suitable for supporting the weightof an electrical fixture such as a ceiling fan or lighting fixture wherethe brace assembly is positioned above the ceiling panels or ceilingtiles. The brace is coupled to the ceiling support so that the weight ofthe electrical device is supported by the brace rather than the ceilingpanels.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a brace assembly having ahanger member that is removably coupled to a brace and that can be movedalong the length of the brace to selectively position the hanger memberand electrical box with respect to the brace assembly and the support.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a brace assembly thatcan be mounted to a T-bar shaped ceiling support or ceiling grid usedfor a suspended ceiling where the brace assembly includes a hangermember that can be coupled to a secondary support for increasing theload capabilities of the assembly. The brace can have indicia toidentify' a load rating of the brace and the electrical box. The hangermember and/or the rear wall of the electrical box can have a window orother opening that aligns with the indicia so that the load rating isvisible after installation of the hanger member on the brace.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide a brace assembly having abrace and a hanger member that is slidable along the length of thebrace. The brace has a mounting bracket at each longitudinal end forcoupling to a support, such as a ceiling grid or ceiling bar support.The brace has a longitudinal slot in a bottom side formed by inwardlyturned edges and side walls forming a longitudinal channel. A bar havinga plurality of screw holes is provided in the channel for coupling thehanger member to the brace and for supporting the electrical box.

One feature of the invention is to provide a brace assembly having ahanger member for coupling an electrical box to the brace. The hangerhas a bottom side with at least one hole for receiving a mounting screwor other fastener that extends through the rear wall of an electricalbox and into the brace. The screws extend through holes in theelectrical box and the hanger member and into a threaded hole in a barwithin the brace so that the hanger member and the associated electricalbox can slide along the length of the brace to a selected position. Thehanger member encloses the brace and is provided with an upper end thatcan be coupled to a secondary support such as a ceiling to support themiddle portion of the brace and the weight of the electrical box.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a brace made from asingle sheet of steel that is folded to form a substantially invertedT-shape. The brace has a pair of parallel side walls forming alongitudinal cavity. Outwardly extending legs have a hollow interiorthat forms a longitudinal channel between the legs to receive a mountingbar and mounting screws from the electrical box to couple the electricalbox to the brace. A slot is formed in the bottom side that enables theelectrical box, mounting screws and mounting bar to slide along thelength of the brace. The shape of the brace provides a very strong andrigid structure that can be made efficiently from a sheet metal blank.

The aspects of the invention are basically attained by providing a braceand electrical box assembly comprising a brace member having a topsurface, an internal longitudinal channel, and a bottom side with anopening communicating with the channel. A bar is received in the channeland has a threaded hole aligned with the opening in the brace member. Ahanger member is coupled to the brace and has a bottom side adapted forcoupling to and supporting an electrical box. A top end with a couplingmember is adapted for coupling to a support for supporting the hangermember and brace member. The electrical box has an aperture receiving amounting screw passing through the opening in the brace member andthreaded into the bar to couple the electrical box to the brace andelectrical box assembly.

The various features of the invention are also attained by providing abrace assembly for supporting an electrical device, comprising a bracemember having a top surface, a longitudinal internal channel, and abottom defining a longitudinal slot open to the channel. The brace isadapted for coupling to a first support. A bar is received in thechannel. The bar has a threaded hole aligned with the longitudinal slot.A hanger member with a bottom wall overlies the longitudinal slot andhas an aperture aligned with the threaded hole in the bar. Side wallshave a bottom end coupled to the bottom wall and a top end with acoupling member adapted for coupling the hanger member to a secondsupport. The aperture in the bottom wall is adapted for receiving acoupling screw passing through an aperture in an electrical box andthreaded into the threaded hole to couple the brace assembly andclamping the position of the electrical box to the brace assembly.

The objects and advantages of the invention are further attained byproviding a brace assembly for supporting an electrical box, comprisinga brace member having a top surface, an open bottom defining alongitudinal slot, and a longitudinal internal channel. A bar isreceived in the internal channel and has a threaded hole. A hangermember with a substantially U-shape with a bottom wall overlies thelongitudinal slot in the brace member. Side walls extend upwardlyadjacent the brace member. The hanger member has an aperture alignedwith the threaded hole in the bar for receiving a screw passing througha hole in an electrical box and threaded into the bar to couple theelectrical box to the brace assembly and clamping the position of theelectrical box to the brace assembly.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of the invention, whichin conjunction with the annexed drawings discloses various embodimentsof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is a brief description of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the brace assembly in one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the brace assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the brace assembly showing the ceilingwith a raised panel and the spacer between the electrical box and thebrace;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the electrical box and spacer coupled tothe brace;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the end bracket coupled to the ceilingsupport;

FIG. 6 is a cross section side view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional end view of the assembly taken along line7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional end view of the assembly taken along line9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the assembly with a chain support;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the body of the brace assembly;

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the body of the brace;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the end bracket;

FIG. 14 is an end view of the end bracket of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the hanger member;

FIG. 16 is an end view of the hanger member of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the hanger member of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the spacer assembly in one embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of the spacer assembly of FIG. 18;and

FIG. 20 is an end view of the spacer assembly of FIG. 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is directed to a brace assembly adapted forcoupling to an overhead support and for supporting an electrical box.The invention is particularly directed to a brace assembly for mountingto a ceiling bar support and to a secondary support member to supportthe electrical box.

Referring to the drawings, the brace assembly 10 of the presentinvention includes a brace 12, a hanger member 14, and an electrical box16. The brace assembly 10 is adapted for mounting the electrical box 16and supporting the weight of an electrical fixture, such as a ceilingfan, luminaire or other electrical device. The brace 10 assembly isparticularly directed to an assembly that can be coupled and mounted toa ceiling bar support 18 commonly used for suspended ceiling tiles 20.The ceiling bar support 18 is attached to the walls and/or ceiling abovethe living area of the building as known in the art.

The ceiling bar support 18, as known in the art, generally has asubstantially inverted T-shape with a vertical section 22 and outwardlyextending legs 24 at a bottom end for supporting the ceiling tiles 20 asshown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The vertical section 22 of the ceiling bar 18has a head portion 23 with a width greater than the body of the verticalsection 22 providing strength and support for the ceiling panels 20 andthe brace assembly 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The brace 12 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 has an invertedT-shape with a main body portion 26 with a top end and two outwardlyextending legs 28 at a bottom end. As shown in FIG. 12, the side wallportions 29 of the main body portion 26 have a height to provide thestrength sufficient to support the weight of the electrical box 16 andthe electrical fixture. The sidewall portions 29 are spaced apart by atop wall 37 a distance to form a longitudinal cavity 30. The legs 28have a top portion 31 and a bottom return portion 32 to form alongitudinal channel 33 between the top portions 31 and the bottomreturn portions 32 and to define a substantially T-shape. The inneredges of the bottom return portions 32 are spaced apart a distance toform an opening forming a longitudinal slot 34 in the bottom side of thebrace 12 that extends the length of the brace 12. In the embodimentshown, the brace 12 is made from a single sheet of cut steel that isbent and folded into the end shape as shown. The inverted T-shapedprovides a very rigid and strong structure that can be made efficientlyfrom a steel blank by folding to the shape shown in the figures. Thebrace 12 includes a plurality of markings or indicia 35 on the side wallportion 29 for spacing and positioning the hanger 14 and the electricalbox 16 in the desired location along the length of the brace. Theindicia 35 are generally markings of the distance from the ends toassist in the location of the electrical box on the brace 12. Theindicia are typically provided in 1 inch and ½ inch increments. Thebrace can also have markings or indicia identifying a load rating forthe brace and the electrical box after installation.

The longitudinal ends 36 of the main body portion 26 of brace 12 have anaperture 38 extending through both side walls 29 of the main body 26. Afastener 40, typically in the form of a nut, is received in eachaperture 38. The nut 40 has a threaded hole extending through that isaligned with the longitudinal cavity 30 of the main body portion 26. Thefaces of the longitudinal ends 36 of the main body portion 26 of thebrace 12 have a plurality of prongs 42 for projecting outwardly alongthe axis of the brace 12. An end bracket 44 is coupled to eachlongitudinal end of the main body 26 of the brace 12 for mounting thebrace assembly 12 to a support surface such as the ceiling support 18.The end brackets 44 have a screw hole 46 for receiving a coupling screw48 that extends through the end bracket 44 and into the longitudinalcavity 30 where the screw 48 is screwed into the nut 40 to secure theend bracket 44 to the main body 26 of the brace 12. The end brackets 44include a plurality of apertures to receive the prongs 42 forstabilizing the end bracket 44 on the end of the body 26 of the brace12.

The end brackets 44 as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 have a main body portion50 with a substantially planar configuration. A first and a second leg52 extend from the longitudinal ends of the main body portion 50. Asshown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the legs 52 are off-set from the main bodyportion 50 a distance corresponding substantially to the width of theceiling support bar 18. The legs 52 include a bent portion 54 extendingfrom the main body 50 forming a support surface for engaging the topsurface of the ceiling support bar 18. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 13,an outwardly extending flange on the legs 52 include upwardly extendingprongs 56 for gripping the bottom edge of the enlarged top edge 23 ofthe vertical section 22 of the ceiling support 18. The bottom end 58 ofeach leg 52 is offset inwardly toward the main body 50 as shown forcoupling to the ceiling support 18 as shown.

The electrical box 16 as shown in FIG. 1 can be a conventionalelectrical box capable of supporting the weight of the intendedelectrical fixture. The electrical box 16 in the embodiment shown has arear wall 60 with a plurality of screw holes 62 for receiving mountingscrews 64. The electrical box 16 includes a side wall 66 with an openend for receiving the electrical wiling device. In the embodiment shown,a flange 68 at the open end includes threaded holes for receivingcoupling screws for attaching the electrical fixture to the electricalbox 16. The rear wall 60 can have an opening forming a sight window forviewing a load rating on the hanger 14 or the brace 12 after theelectrical box is installed.

The hanger 14 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 15-17, has asubstantially U-shape with a bottom wall 70 and side walls 72 extendingupwardly from the bottom wall 70. Side walls 72 are substantiallyparallel to each other with a bottom end integrally formed with thebottom wall 70 and having a free top end 74. Referring to FIG. 7, thebottom wall 70 of hanger 14 has a width corresponding substantially tothe width of the bottom end of the T-shaped brace 12. The side walls 72are spaced-apart a distance corresponding substantially to the width ofthe legs 28 of the brace 12 to prevent the separation or spreading ofthe legs 28 under the weight of the electrical fixture. The side walls72 have a lower portion 76 and an upper portion 78 spaced outwardly fromthe lower portion 76 by an offset portion. The lower portion 76 has anopening 80 defining a window for aligning with the indicia 35 on thevertical section 22 of the brace 12 to position the hanger 14 in theselected location. The top end 74 of each side wall 72 includes aplurality of holes 82 defining a coupling for coupling with a supportsuch as a chain 116 shown in FIG. 10. A centrally positioned hole 83 isformed in each side wall 72 for coupling a mounting bracket 84 as shownin FIG. 6. The bottom wall 70 has a plurality of screw holes 71 alignedwith the screw holes 62 in the electrical box.

In the embodiment shown, the opening 80 has substantially triangularshape where the apex of the triangle can be aligned with markings 35 onthe brace 26 to position the hanger 14 in a selected position. Theopenings 80 allow inspection of the indicia or markings 35 afterinstallation of the hanger 14 and mounting of the electrical box. In oneembodiment, the brace can have marking indicating a load rating for thebrace. The load rating markings are preferably visible for inspectionand verification after installation of the hanger 13 and the electricalbox 16. The load rating marking can be visible through the opening orwindow in an opening in the hanger 14 or in the rear wall 60 of theelectrical box 16.

A bar 86 is provided for coupling the electrical box 16 to the hangermember 14. The bar 86 as shown in FIG. 2 is a substantially flat platehaving a length and width corresponding substantially to the width ofthe longitudinal channel 33 formed by the legs 28 of the brace 12. Thebar 86 includes a plurality of threaded holes 88 for receiving themounting screws 64 extending through the rear wall 60 of the electricalbox 16. The bar 86 has a dimension to fit within the longitudinalchannel 33 and slide along the length of the brace 12 as shown in FIGS.6 and 7. The bar 86 and the hanger 14 are able to slide along the lengthof the brace 12 to adjust the position of the electrical box 16 on thebrace 12. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the bar 86 iscaptured within the channel 33 so that upward and downward movement ofthe bar 86 is limited by the top portions 31 and bottom portion 32 ofthe legs 28. The bar 86 is retained in the bottom portion of the bracewith the face of the bar 86 and the screw holes 88 aligned with the slot34.

Referring to FIGS. 15-17, the bottom wall 70 of hanger 14 includes aplurality of holes 71 having a dimension to receive the mounting screws64 and to allow the mounting screws 64 to pass through for screwing intothe bar 86. In the embodiment shown, four screw holes 71 are providedthat complement the screw holes 62 in the rear wall 60 of the electricalbox 16 and the threaded holes 88 in the bar 86. The screw holes 71 and62 can be arranged to accommodate different orientations of theelectrical box with respect to the brace 12. In one embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, two mounting screws 64 are provided for coupling theelectrical box 16 to the brace assembly 12. Alternatively, more than twomounting screws can be used depending on the electrical box and thenumber or arrangement of the screws in the rear wall of the electricalbox.

The bottom wall 70 of the hanger 14 also includes a tab 140 that is cutfrom the bottom wall 70 and bent upwardly to extend perpendicular to theplane of the bottom wall 70. The tab 140 extends through a centrallylocated hole 142 in the bar 86 to position the bar 86 and the respectiveholes aligned with the holes 71 in bottom wall 70 of the hanger 14.

The side walls 72 of the hanger 14 have a height to extend above the topend of the brace 12 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In the embodiment ofFIGS. 6 and 7, the mounting screws 64 extend through the screw holes 62in the rear wall 60 of the electrical box 16 and extend through acorresponding screw hole 71 in the bottom wall 70 of the hanger 14 andinto the threaded holes 88 of the bar 86. The bar 86 and the electricalbox 16 slide along the length of the brace 12 to the desired position.The mounting screws 64 are tightened to damp the bar 86 against thebottom flanges 32 of the brace 12 to secure the electrical box 16 to thebrace 12 in a fixed position on the brace assembly 12. As shown in FIG.7, the mounting screws 64 are screwed upwardly through the bottom sideof the brace 12 and through the bar 86 to extend in to the channel 30.

The bottom wall 70 of the hanger 14 has a width correspondingsubstantially to the width of the bottom end of the brace 12 as shown inFIG. 7. The side wall 72 of the hanger 14 capture the side edges of thebottom end of the brace 12 to prevent the bottom end and the slot 34from spreading apart and opening due to the weight of the electrical box16 and the electrical fixture.

The mounting bracket 84 is removably coupled to the hanger 14 forconnecting the hanger bracket 84 to a secondary support for providingadditional support for the electrical box 16. The mounting bracket 84 inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has a substantially inverted U-shape witha top wall 90 and side walls 92 with an open bottom end 94. The sidewalls 92 are spaced apart a distance to fit within the side walls 72 ofthe hanger 14 as shown in FIG. 7. Each side wall 92 has a hook-shapedslot 96 to receive a bolt 98 or other fastener. As shown in FIGS. 6 and7, the bolt 98 passes through a central hole 83 at the upper end of theside walls 72 of the hanger 14 and is coupled to the mounting bracket 84by a nut 100. A sleeve 102 is provided on the bolt 98 to position andprevent inward bending of the sidewalls 92 of the mounting bracket whenthe nut is tightened. The mounting bracket 84 is removably coupled tothe hanger by moving the slots 96 over the bolt 98 to the position shownin FIG. 6. The sleeve 102 spaces the side walls 92 against the sidewalls 72 of the hanger 14 and provide a clamping surface when the nut100 and bolt 98 are tightened to secure the mounting bracket 84 to thehanger 14.

The top wall 90 of the mounting bracket 84 includes a central aperture104 shown in FIG. 2. A support rod 106 having a threaded end 108receives a pair of nuts 110 and a washer 112 for coupling the rod 106 tothe top wall 90 as shown in FIG. 7. The rod 106 extends upwardly to asupport 150 such as a ceiling to provide additional support for theelectrical box as shown in FIG. 1.

During use, the electrical box 16 is attached to the brace 12 by themounting screws 64. The end brackets 44 are coupled to the ceilingsupport 18 as shown in FIG. 1. The mounting bracket 84 is coupled to thehanger 14 with the rod 106 fixed to a ceiling 150 or other support.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the mounting bracket 84can be removed from the hanger 14. The outermost apertures 82 in the topend of the side walls 74 of the hanger 14 can receive a pin 114 or boltfor coupling a chain 116. The chain or other support member extendsupwardly and is fixed to the ceiling or support 150 to support theweight of the electrical device and electrical box.

The brace assembly 12 is adapted for supporting the electrical box invarious positions and for positioning the electrical box at a selectedheight with respect to the ceiling support 18. Typically, the braceassembly 12 positions the open end of the electrical box 16 flush withthe outer face of the ceiling tile 20 as shown in FIG. 1. The assemblyof the invention can accommodate different forms or thicknesses of theceiling tile or ceiling panel. For example, FIG. 3 shows a ceiling tile20 having an outwardly beveled face so that the outer face of theceiling tile is spaced further from the brace assembly 12 compared tothe ceiling tile of FIG. 1.

In one embodiment of the invention, one or more spacers 120 can bepositioned between the rear wall 60 of the electrical box 16 and thebottom wall of the hanger 14. The spacer 120 has a predeterminedthickness to position the electrical box 16 to correspond to thelocation of the opening in the ceiling. As shown in FIG. 4, the spacer120 has a thickness to position the open end of the electrical box 16within the hole 122 and the ceiling tile to be flush with the outersurface of the ceiling tile 20.

Referring to FIG. 4, the spacer 120 has a length and width correspondingsubstantially to the length and width of the bottom wall 70 of thehanger 14. The spacer 120 preferably has a plurality of holes or slotsaligned with the mounting screws 64 so that the spacer 120 is clampedbetween the electrical box 16 and bottom wall 70 of the hanger 14.

In one embodiment, a plurality of spacers are provided as a kit orassembly with the brace assembly 12. The spacer assembly 122 can be anassembly shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 having three spacers 124, 126 and128, each having a different thickness to accommodate different depthsor spacing of the outer face of the ceiling to the brace 12. By way ofexample, the spacers 124, 126 and 128 can have a thickness of about0.125 inch, 0.188 inch and 0.250 inch, respectively. The spacers can beused alone or in combination to space the electrical box 16 a desireddistance from the brace 12. Each spacer has a plurality of open slots130 on a longitudinal side for sliding over the mounting screws 64during assembly. The slots 130 have a first portion 132 with a width toaccommodate the mounting screw 64 and an inwardly extending projection134 forming a generally key-hole shaped slot for retaining the spacer onthe mounting screws 64 by an interference fit. The spacers are typicallymade of a plastic material to enable the spacers to snap onto the screws64 by sliding between the bottom wall 70 of the hanger 14 and the rearwall 60 of the electrical box 16.

In the embodiment shown, each spacer has four slots 130 to align withthe respective openings in the rear wall 60 of the electrical box 16 andthe threaded holes 88 in the bar 86. In one embodiment of the invention,the spacers are provided as a single unit coupled by frangible tabs 136between the spacers as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. During use, the spacersare separated from each other by bending and breaking the tabs 136. Thespacers can be used individually or stacked together to provide thedesired thickness for positioning the electrical box with respect to theceiling.

During use and assembly, the brace 12 is coupled to the ceiling support18 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The hanger 14 slides upwardly from thebottom side of the body 26 of the brace 12 with the holes 71 in thebottom wall 70 of the hanger aligned with the holes in the bar 86. Themounting screws 64 are passed through the rear wall 60 of the electricalbox 16 as shown in FIG. 6, and threaded into the bar 86. The electricalbox 16 and the hanger 14 are able to slide along the longitudinal lengthof the main body 26 of the brace 12 to the desired position. Themounting screws 64 can then be tightened to damp the electrical box 16to the bar 86 and the brace 12. One or more spacers 120 or one or morespacers of the spacer assembly 122 can be positioned between the rearwall 60 of the electrical box 16 and the bottom wall 70 of the hanger tospace the electrical box from the hanger. In the embodiment shown, thespacers slide over the mounting screws 64 by sliding between the bottomwall 70 of the hanger and the rear wall 60 of the electrical box 16. Thescrews are than tightened to clamp the electrical box to the brace asshown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

In one embodiment shown in FIG. 10, chains 116 or other support memberscan be coupled to the top end of the hanger 14 and fixed to the ceiling150 or other vertical support to provide additional support for theelectrical box 16 and to support the weight of the electrical devicecoupled to the electrical box. In an alternative embodiment, themounting bracket 84 can be hooked onto the bolt 98 extending through thecenter hole of the side walls 72 of the hanger 14. The rod 106 or othersupport member can be coupled to the top end of the hanger 14 andcoupled to the ceiling or other overhead support as shown in FIG. 1.

While various embodiments are shown to illustrate the invention, it willbe understood by those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications can be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A brace for supporting an electrical box, the electricalbox including an aperture for receiving a mounting fastener, the bracecomprising: an elongated body portion including a first end, a secondend, and a longitudinal axis, the body portion including a pair ofparallel sides spaced apart from one another, the parallel sides spacedapart from one another by a body width; a channel extending between thefirst end and the second end, the channel including a pair of wallsspaced apart from one another by a channel width greater than the bodywidth, the channel including a pair of lower return portions positionedadjacent a lower end of the pair of walls; and a slot positioned betweenthe lower return portions.
 2. The brace of claim 1, further comprising aplurality of prongs protruding from at least one of the first end andthe second end, the prongs configured to engage an end bracket.
 3. Thebrace of claim 1, wherein the channel is configured to slidably receivea bar having a threaded hole for receiving a fastener, wherein the barand the fastener can be positioned at any point along the channel andslot, respectively.
 4. The brace of claim 1, wherein at least one of thesides of the body includes a plurality of marking for indicating adistance from one of the first end and the second end.
 5. The brace ofclaim 1, wherein an aperture extending transversely through the sides ofthe body and is configured to receive a nut having an opening alignedwith a cavity extending through the body from the first end to thesecond end.
 6. A brace assembly supporting an electrical box, theelectrical box including an aperture for receiving a mounting fastener,the brace comprising: a brace member including a first end and a secondend, the brace member including a channel and a slot formed on a lowersurface of the brace member, the slot in communication with the channel;a bar slidably received within the channel, the bar including at leastone hole for receiving a fastener, each hole aligned with the slot, eachfastener configured to secure the electrical box to the bar; and atleast one spacer slidably positioned between the electrical box and thebar.
 7. The brace assembly of claim 6, wherein the spacer is formed fromplastic.
 8. The brace assembly of claim 6, wherein the spacer includesan open slot for each of the at least one hole formed in the bar, eachopen slot formed along a longitudinal side of the spacer and configuredto receive a fastener coupled to the bar.
 9. The brace assembly of claim6, wherein the at least one spacer includes a plurality of spacers, eachof the spacers stacked on top of one another.
 10. The brace assembly ofclaim 6, wherein, as the fastener is tightened, the at least one spaceris clamped between the electrical box and the bar.